'Deadliest Catch' star details rescue effort before Todd Meadows' death

Entertainment Weekly • March 5, 2026 • entertainment

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Todd Meadows, a 25-year-old crewmate on the Aleutian Lady fishing vessel featured on Deadliest Catch, tragically died after falling overboard on February 25 in the Bering Sea.
Despite calm seas, the near-freezing water temperature severely hindered rescue efforts; crew members, including Trey John Green III, attempted multiple rescues, but a critical equipment failure caused Meadows to fall back into the water during recovery.
Meadows was in the water for only three to four minutes before being pulled onboard, but he was already turning blue; the crew performed CPR and used an AED for 30 to 45 minutes before the captain called off resuscitation efforts.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed Meadows was recovered